First Appointment
When you initially arrive you will be asked to fill out a New Patient Questionnaire, if not already submitted online. We require a detailed medical and dental history. One of our team will give you a tour of the practice and you will be introduced to Dr Brennan or Dr Lewis.
Our orthodontists are very keen to understand your specific concerns (if any) and will discuss these before the clinical examination takes place. A detailed visual evaluation is carried out, thoroughly examining the face, the relative positions of the jaw bones and the soft tissues of the face and mouth and symmetry of the facial frame. In addition the functional health of the Temperomandibular Jaw Joints (TMJ) is investigated.
The orthodontist will then assess the health and position of the teeth and gums and establish the stage of physical and dental development. The current biting positions of the teeth, individual tooth position and angulations of the teeth will be noted in addition to assessment of the eruption of future adult teeth. All of this may sound complex but is quite painless and tolerated easily from our youngest to our oldest patients. This is all done in a quiet, relaxing environment with your Orthodontist and with the aim of making it easy for you and your child to learn and ask questions.
Once the orthodontic skeletal/dental condition has been established Dr Brennan /Dr Lewis will highlight their initial findings with you and discuss if treatment is currently indicated. If no treatment is indicated at that point in time you will be placed on a RECALL list and will be periodically monitored by your orthodontist at NO charge to review growth and development.
If an orthodontic condition requiring treatment is identified then further investigations are usually necessary and are taken at the end of the first appointment. These standard orthodontic investigations are: facial photographs, dental photographs, impressions of the teeth for 3D analysis and orthodontic radiographs (x-rays). These special investigations are thoroughly assessed by your specialist orthodontist and can be discussed with you at a separate CONSULTATION appointment if required.
Shortly after your New Patient Assessment (and assuming you do not require a further planning appointment), we will send you a detailed treatment plan, which will outline the treatment options appropriate to your situation. This plan will include information on the length of your treatment, treatment costs and the financial plans available plus other general material. At this stage we’ll also send our treatment recommendation to your dentist to ensure they are kept informed.
Consultation Appointment
We believe that you and your child should be fully informed and have time and opportunity to fully understand and question any orthodontic conditions that have been detected. If the issue is complex and requires in-depth analysis or you would like an opportunity to further discuss the findings from the initial assessment we can arrange a separate appointment called a Consultation appointment where the orthodontist explains the results of the radiographs (x-rays) and demonstrates the conditions present using state of the art 3D computer models of your/your child’s teeth. The other important component of this appointment is the hands-on look and feel of the orthodontic appliances advised and information about the steps involved in caring for and adjusting to something new in the mouth.
Shortly after your Consultation, we will send you a detailed treatment plan, which will outline the treatment options appropriate to your situation. This plan will include information on the length of your treatment, treatment costs and the financial plans available plus other general material. At this stage we’ll also send our treatment recommendation to your dentist to ensure they are kept informed.
Appointment scheduling
All short, adjustment appointments will be scheduled where possible outside of school times. Longer, infrequent appointments such as Consultation, Braces On and Braces Off appointments are scheduled during the day. It is always advisable that you book an appointment with us preferably up to four weeks in advance, as our calendar can fill up rapidly.
We know how busy life can be juggling many different activities and we therefore send an sms or email to you 1 day prior to your appointment.
Please note that if you are unable to attend your appointment, or cancel at late notice, we may need to reschedule your appointment during school hours to ensure we can see you promptly
At Hornsby Orthodontics, all your adjustments will be with your orthodontist so that you receive individual care carried out by the same specialist at every visit. Dr Brennan and Dr Lewis believe strongly that individual care produces excellence in results
